Where Should We Live? Relocating to US with Chasidic Family

amother

Maize

Wed, Jun 26 2024, 5:09 pm

Staten Island
I am not Chassidish but many here are over the recent years
Some chassidish women don’t drive, but many do
Some are SAHM , and others work
But there are literally all types of a Chassidim , they typical and out of the box .
I think you will be happy here
Lots of green
But you will be a lot happier if you drive
It’s hard to rely on public transportation here .
Also commuting to Manhattan is a bit annoying , but tons of people do it .

amother

Skyblue

Wed, Jun 26 2024, 11:07 pm

Lower East Side?
Pros: Open to chassidim, Cons: shrinking community
Boro Park?
It doesn't deserve the reputation it has and is worth looking into. Some parts of Flatbush too.
Linden is too chassidish and Staten Island is a bit far.
Teaneck and Passaic might seem like a good choice based on how you describe yourself but would be a nightmare for a shtreimel-clad man.

BigAppleBaby

Thu, Jun 27 2024, 12:02 pm

Thank you so much Genius, scruffy, Lightgreen, NeonGreen, Linen, Carnation, Orange, Amarante, Denim, sara1232, mha3484, Apple, Opal, Burlywood, Brickred, Amelia Bedelia, Skyblue, Maize, and Lime!! this so helpful!!

BH We actually have a pretty flexible work arrangement – we can work from home two days a week. My office is conveniently located in Lower Manhattan (while my husband's is further uptown near Times Square. He might be able to use a scooter to get around within Manhattan though.).

As for childcare, my husband and I take turns every day. This allows us to have a shorter day in the office one day and a longer day on another, depending on our schedules.

Considering this, Staten Island seems like a strong possibility for our family. The Boro Park educational system would likely be a good fit for our children's schooling, and with the flexibility to work from home two days a week, commuting into Manhattan would likely only be necessary for a maximum of 3 days a week. This way, we can manage the childcare responsibilities between ourselves on those days.

one question I'd like to ask, is it true it's more expensive to live in NY than NJ (tax wise)?
If yes, is it a major or minor gap in the day2day?
THX!

keym

Thu, Jun 27 2024, 12:09 pm

I wonder if either of your jobs have options in Chicago or LA.
The east coast tends to be very polarized. You might struggle finding schools. Chassidishe schools might object to your "modernity" and non Chassidishe schools may also not be a great fit.

Chicago and LA are both nice size communities with some chassidishe infrastructure but not polarizing.
And they're both massive cities with business hubs.

BigAppleBaby

Yesterday at 6:19 am

amother Opal wrote:

I would think Brooklyn is the best option for you. Is there a reason you're avoiding Brooklyn?

Monsey to Manhattan is a really long commute. How often would you have to go in office?

Thanks! 3 days a week.

BigAppleBaby

Yesterday at 6:21 am

amother Opal wrote:

I would think Brooklyn is the best option for you. Is there a reason you're avoiding Brooklyn?

Monsey to Manhattan is a really long commute. How often would you have to go in office?

We're not really city people, we'd prefer something greener.

Amarante

Yesterday at 8:40 am

YehuditAsher wrote:

one question I'd like to ask, is it true it's more expensive to live in NY than NJ (tax wise)?
If yes, is it a major or minor gap in the day2day?
THX!

It really depends

Because of its very strong commercial tax base, property taxes in New York City (which would include Staten Island) are lower than they are in the suburbs or New Jersey. Single family homes and condo get a relative tax break. Most suburbs derive most of their income from private homes and so they need to have a high tax

Also (and this is just my understanding so I could be incorrect), New York State funds a portion of its Medicare through local property taxes and so this would be through property taxes in a location like Monsey or other New York State suburbs.

New York City itself has an income tax but my understanding is that you pay that tax wherever you live so long as you "work" in New York - I.e. your income is derived from working at a company based in New York so you would pay that tax wherever you live. This is my understanding of how it works.

I don't know how income tax for New York State compares to New Jersey income taxes but you aren't considering New Jersey so far as I can tell anyway Very Happy